When is something fair?
What does it mean to be a friend?
Cheating.
Killing animals for food.
These are all topics that come up in our daily life, ones you might well find yourself talking about with your children or friends. Sometimes you might even find yourself at a loss how to respond to a question about them.
These are also all topics in the Ethics classes at Narooma Primary School, which are taught as an alternative to Scripture classes. These classes are taught by volunteers who care passionately that children should have a chance to learn about ethical questions like this in a non-religious setting, how to respect other peoples’ opinions and how to behave well in a discussion.
All these are topics that the children study during the weekly half-hour sessions – and the classes help teach the children how to think things through, how to ask the right questions and how to tell if something is a good argument.
The local ethics teaching team is always glad to welcome new teachers. The standards required of the teachers are definitely high, and you are asked to commit to a Code of Conduct. You might have seen the article in the SMH on 10.09.19 about the Ethics teacher who has been stood down for inappropriate comments to his class. He appears to have gone completely against the training and the Code of Conduct.
Prospective teachers are helped at every step of the way, including a free 2 day training course to help you learn how to manage a classroom, and on-going classroom support. It only takes a small commitment of your time, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to bring up the next generation to feel more confident getting to grips with life’s thornier problems.
Now is a really good time to sign up to be a volunteer ethics teacher: there will be a free 2 day training workshop in Narooma on November 16/17.
You will also need a police check and a Working With Children certificate, both of which usually take a few weeks to obtain.
For further information contact the Ethics Co-ordinator for Narooma Public School
– on 0401 968 899 or email mog@mogajon.com.au
You can visit this website https://primaryethics.com.au to find out more.
